It's still night time. It would be another hour or two before the sun started to rise up, letting it's incandescent light start to stretch across the horizon. For now though, the sky would just remain as a quilt of dark blue with a few stars and clouds just scattered around. Honestly, they'd look a lot better if the neon from the cities they were passing over died down a bit.
"Still… not that bad a sight…" Setsuna muttered as he looked out the window of a dropship and watched a nearby city drift away into the late night. "You wouldn't even be aware of all the murk grime that's going on tonight." He admitted. "At least, not until you step into town and get a reminder sent your way."
"How true…" Yamamoto muttered as he glanced outside as well before his attention to the young man across from him. "Still, shall we get down to business?"
"Sure, why not." Setsuna muttered as he refocused his attention on the Chief of Section 3. "What do I need to know?"
"We'll start with a single word." Yamamoto began. "Taimanin?"
"Taimanin?" Setsunas repeated the word for a moment before falling silent. "Never heard that word before."
"I'd be deeply concerned if you did." Yamamoto admitted. "Taimanin is a term we use to describe individuals that have received specialized ninja based training, and are able to harness a mysterious element we call Taima Particles." Setsuna just stared at him for a second.
"Did you just say ninja?" Setsuna muttered. "Like Hattori Hanzo?" Yamamoto nodded his head. "So I'm going to be working with ninjas?" He muttered as he tried not to chuckle. "I thought they went out of style centuries ago." He mused before falling silent. "And what the hell is a Taima Particle?"
"We're still in the middle of researching that answer ourselves." Yamamoto admitted. "That said, we do know this; Taima Particles can be imbued into one's body or weapon to enhance their abilities, and when concentrated enough they enable the use of supernatural abilities." Setsuna didn't say anything for a moment as he seemed to stare at one of his hands in thought. Abilities, you happen to possess.
"So that's it, huh." Setsuna muttered. "You're saying my powers are because I'm manipulating some kind of mysterious particle?" Setsuna muttered before seeming to think. "And these Taimanin are able to use this Particle as well." He asked. "Why though?" He asked. "I'm not vain enough to think that I was the only one who could use stuff like that, but why can they use it?"
"That would have to do with bloodlines." Yamamoto stated. "Taimanin are marble to use these particles, because human and demon blood course through their veins."
"You're saying the Taimanin and I are part demon?" Setsuna narrowed his eyes. "Seriously, that sounds like something out of an old anime or something."
"Indeed, but that's the truth. Though how much demon blood exists within you is up for debate." Yamamoto stated, not bothered by Setsuna's glare. "Though there are exceptions, many Taimanin, the mixing of human and demon blood happened many generations ago. One of your ancestors was human, the other a demon." He saw Setsuna start to relax his glare before turning elsewhere.
"Well, that would explain a few things…" Setsuna muttered. "Explain why…" Yamamoto waited for him to finish, and when he didn't simply filed the thought away for later. "So this demon bloodline - the abilities they grant. Is it like an atavism or something; only appears every few generations or something?"
"Not entirely." Yamamoto muttered. "All Taimanin have a unique ability, but their exact abilities are limited to the clan they hail from."
"So clan A has their skill set, and clan B has theirs."
"Correct." Yamamoto nodded his head.
"And they all work together in one organization? I thought ninja were like rival clans or something in the past." Setsuna seemed to think about what he had just said. "Let me guess, the key words are, 'in the past'."
"Yes." Yamamoto stated. "In the past these clans would act against each other and serve rival Daimyou, as they protected humanity by fighting demonic forces. However at the beginning of the modern age, with the greater danger posed by the demon and human geopolitical crisis, it pushed the clans into joining together to form a centralized organization." Yamamoto explained. "Of course even after uniting there were still conflicts, uprising and splitting between clans. But things seem to have stabilized within the past few years."
"That so?" Setsuna seemed to be losing interest fast. "That's good." He muttered. "Still I'll be working with ninjas." He mused. "So long as none of them try to off me, I think I'll be good." He declared before seeming to think. "So where am I being sent?"
"As of right now, we are on our way to Gosha Village." Yamamoto admitted. "The Government founded the village 30 years ago. That was back during the political crisis caused by the proxy war between UFS and the Chinese Union as well as when the gates to the Dark World started to open across most of Japan." He paused for a moment. "Since the village was founded, it's acted as the headquarters for the once scattered ninja clans and we've been funding it under Section Three supervision… as well as suppressing any information concerning it to the public."
"Is that so?" Setsuna muttered as he sat up straight and seemed to think. "I'll be staying there then…" Hr paused for a moment. "Am I allowed to leave the village?"
"Naturally, in order to complete missions around Japan we can't keep you locked away."
"You know that's not what I mean." Setsuna muttered. "I mean casually? Am I allowed to leave the village and go places?"
"Of course, you're not exchanging one prison for another." Was the response he was given. "You can leave the village and go wherever you like. Just be aware that even by bus, the nearest city, Maesaki, is three hours away." Yamamoto stated as Sestuna signed in annoyance.
"So if I wanted to go out of town for a while, I'd need to get up extra early." He grumbled. "Wonderful…" He rolled his eyes for a moment. "Tell me, how have you been able to keep this village under the radar for so long, I mean, surely someone might have seen, right? If not by just wandering into the village by accident - then surely by satellite."
"We've been keeping it hidden through a combination of modern technology and Ninja Arts, and even without them the forest that surrounds the village is incredibly dangerous to regular people."
"So that's how it is…" Setsuna muttered. "I really should have expected that, shouldn't I?" He shrugged before falling silent, and returned to looking outside while a monitor both above Yamamoto's head and on the nearest wall started to come alive.
"Yamamoto-dono, we've reached Gosha Airspace."
The nameless pilot spoke up as Yamamoto looked towards one of the monitors.
"Ah~ good." Yamamoto muttered. "Take us in please."
"Yes sir."
Not much later
"Ah~ finally." Setsuna muttered as he left the drop ship and bothered taking a moment to stretch and looked around. "So this is Gosha…" He muttered as he took in the airfield and the buildings beyond it.
"Yamamoto-dono." Hearing the words Setsuna turned his head to catch sight of two women waiting at the airfield. One of them he actually recognized; it was Makishima-san, one of the women he'd helped out in order to take down Reiichiro. The other wasn't familiar though. She had dark-blue hair and teal colored eyes.
"Asagi-san." Yamamoto greeted as he lowered his head slightly in respect. "It's good to see you, I take it you're well?"
"Yes." Asagi stated as she let her eyes focus on the young Setsuna. "I take it this is the one Ayame-san has been telling me about; the Hunter."
"Indeed, this is Yorugami Setsuna." Yamamoto stated as he turned to the young man and gestured to his counterpart. "Yorugami-san, this is Igawa Asagi. She is the leader of the Taimanin, and the principal of Gosha's academy." The man stated. "You will be in her care from here on."
"Hey." Setsuna greeted as he turned his attention to Ayame. "You look good." Setsuna stated. "Lot better than when I last saw you."
"Last you saw me, Reiichiro had a foot on my head." Ayame stated with a bit of embarrassment. "Thank you, Yorugami-san."
"Setsuna's fine." He muttered as he scratched his head. "I'm… glad I wasn't too late. If I was…" He didn't want to finish that thought.
He didn't want to go down memory lane and remember those he couldn't save.
He didn't want to remember those drugged up women he killed out of mercy…
Asagi seemed to catch his thought pattern and cleared her throat to catch his attention. "Thankfully that didn't happen." She told him. "And I thank you for saving one of our own." She lowered her head slightly, starting to bow as she did and Setsuna just raised a hand to get her to stop.
"You don't need to do that." He muttered as he looked around for a moment, not really sure what to do.
"Shall we?" Asagi made a gesture to the airfield and led the group off. Setsuna didn't notice the hint of sweat trailing down her chin but Yamamoto and Mikashima did. The three held a private conversation with their eyes. Setsuna didn't notice any of this, with their backs turned to him, but he did notice the change in the air.
'I don't know what's up, but this might be bad…' He thought to himself. 'I seriously hope I didn't make the wrong choice about taking up Yamamoto's offer.' He continued to think. 'Am I going to have to fight my way out of a ninja village? I don't want to but I will fucking try if I have to…' He thought as he scratched his right ear, taking the moment to let his finger brush a gold magatama shaped earring. 'And if it comes to that… I'll definitely need to pull out all the stops…'
Even if they couldn't read his thought's the trio did realize that upon looking back at the teen that the change in the air was putting him on edge, and promptly apologized before reassuring him that nothing was going to happen to him… so long as he didn't start anything and force them into action.
"So." Setsuna broke the silence. "While I'm here… what will I be doing?" He asked. "I doubt you'll just have me sit on my but until you need me."
"You'll be attending classes here at Gosha." Asagi stated with an even gaze.
"You want me to go to ninja school?"
"Ayame mentioned that she saw you make use of Taimanin Ninja Arts when you rescued her." Asagi admitted as Ayame nodded her head. "At our academy, you'll be able to further hone those abilities and improve your general skills." Setsuna stayed silent as he made a gesture with his hand.
"Go on… and~"
"Attending Gosha will also allow us to better monitor you in case something happens."
"You mean in case I decide to start causing trouble." It wasn't a question.
"You are in a very unique situation." Asagi admitted. "You may have the same unique blood as we do, but you are still an outsider to Gosha." She continued. "No one knows who you are or what you're capable of and yet, you have been given a chance to join our ranks… the clans and families will be watching you."
"So the moment they find out about me they'll be putting expectations on me." Setsuna grumbled. "Why am I not surprised?" He muttered as he looked elsewhere and crossed his arms. "What about you? Are you already setting expectations for me?"
"I am." Asagi admitted. "We've never had an outsider join Gosha… and as headmistress of the academy, I want to know I haven't made a mistake in allowing you entry." Setsuna looked back at her. "So don't expect things to be easy around here." He smirked slightly.
"I'd be disappointed otherwise." Setsuna admitted before pausing. "And don't worry. I won't start anything unless I absolutely have to." He admitted. "I'll be a good boy, but~ if I do have to start something… just know I always finish what I start."
"So will we." There it was, a line already being drawn up in the sand.
In one corner there was Igawa Asagi; the Strongest Taimanin and Headmistress of Gosha Academy.
In the other corner there was Yorugami Setsuna; Japan's infamous vigilante known as the Hunter.
Yamamoto and Makishima just stared at the two, a hint of fear and respect leaving them as they stared at the two. There was no fear or inflated ego being brought to the table here, but those two were already willing to throw down if it came to that.
If - perhaps when - these two were forced to come to blows, neither Yamamoto nor Mikashima were actually sure who'd come out on top in the end.